Wednesday, April 20, 2005

My Turn To Say No

I had a meeting with Steve Raccoon, the employer who called me while I was in Yellowknife and then I removed myself from his list of candidates. What? Why? Am I crazy?

The Raccoon job would begin as part time on single engine aircraft, progressing to full time with some single and some multi-engine flying. Steve shortlisted me because he knew I have ties to this community and he was looking for someone who wouldn't be leaving town in a hurry. While I would very much like to be flying both types of aircraft Raccoon operates, I said no. He suggested that I juggle the two jobs, because the work with him would start out slowly, and that he had previously had employees who did that. I talked to my current employer about the possibility and learned that those previous employees had caused scheduling problems. "Havoc" was the term used. I don't like to make commitments I can't keep, and holding both jobs would entail regularly bailing on commitments to the first job. I considered quitting my current job for Raccoon, but over the next six months, I expect to be doing both more multi-engine and more total flying with my current employer than would be happening with Raccoon. Twelve months from now I would expect to have more income and more multi-engine flying with Raccoon than with my current job, but twelve months from now I don't expect to have the current job, in any case. He wasn't asking for a fixed commitment, but I he clearly wants someone who would be there two years, and I would feel that I was betraying him if I did not give him that much time.

Last time I turned down a position in similar circumstances, I got a much better job immediately afterwards. Let it happen again.

5 comments:

Kris Johnson said...

Even if you don't get a better offer right away, don't second-guess yourself too much. If the job isn't right, it isn't right.

However, if your only reason for not taking the job is due to a perceived commitment, I'd reconsider. None of the Steves will think twice about terminating your employment when the situation dictates it, so you should feel the same freedom.

James said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Go with Raccoon.
And dont have babies while you are still so unsettled
Meet John Travolta. He has a multi-engined plane AND money

Anonymous said...

But what about your commitment to yourself (and to your readers)? A job offer from Raccoon would be accepted, you said.

I do hope this particular Steve realizes the irony of telling someone who had trekked halfway to the North Pole seeking work that he was looking for someone with ties to the community.

Aviatrix said...

Fair question. When we sat down and actually discussed the job, the most appealing aspects as advertised over the telephone were minor parts of the job, that might not even occur within the time period I expected to keep the job. For the kind of flying I want to do, I calculated after the discussion that my current job would be just as effective.